THILE (Death – Hope – Intrigue – Love – Introduction)

The peculiarity of this short long form is that the story is told backwards in five acts. To get a theatrical effect it is good practice to play a story from the past in heightened, slightly archaic language — Shakespeare-light, so to speak. The characters are simple and somewhat clichéd; what matters is that the protagonist always dies and always has a good, pure character. The protagonist is always in love with one of the other figures on stage. With four players you have, alongside the loving couple, an Intriguer and a Helper / Supporter.

1. First we play the 5th act: Death.
   Short and sharp, the death of the protagonist is shown. They can die alone (e.g. eating a poisoned meal) or with the help of the Intriguer, who, for instance, drives a knife into their back. The protagonist decides how they die. The decisive promises for the other acts are set up here. Optionally, the grieving lover can have a dramatic moment at the end of this act.

2. Then the 4th act: Hope.
   We see the time before the death. Tension rises by way of delay. The protagonist almost looks like they might be saved. There is a hope that the unsuspecting protagonist will not die — for some plausible reason they don't drink the poisoned drink, for instance.

3. Third act: Intrigue.
   Here the web is spun, the reasons for the protagonist's death are shown, the killing is prepared by the unsympathetic Intriguer and a Helper / Supporter. The lovers are not on stage during this act.

4. Second act: Love.
   The lovers meet. Both fall into unconditional love. This is played with full pathos and exaggeration.

5. First act: Introduction.
   All (four) characters appear. Attention is drawn to the seed of the conflict and the tension to come.

Tips

• The protagonist is played on as a rule.
• The beginning and end of each act should be marked by a virtual opening and closing of the curtain — by one of the players or the host.
• An act can be made up of two scenes if the dramaturgy demands it. Those scenes then run chronologically.
• Four players are the ideal cast, though many more are possible.
• The prompt-gathering can be of any size and content — many specifications are possible.
• This very difficult form needs intensive rehearsal before it works on stage.

See also: Five-Act Structure